The Kanto Journies
by Gear-Richie
Summary: A brand new breeder/coordinator, trainer, and Pokéthlete babysit a brash, impulsive trainer while trying to survive their journey through the Kanto region of the Pokémon World.
1. A Route to Disaster

Chapter 1

"Let me go!" Chris yelled as he pulled against the force holding him in place. The backpack he was carrying now served as a harness that kept him from entering Route 1. "I have a journey to go on!"

"You're not going anywhere," Professor Oak said, maintaining his firm grip on Chris. "You still have three travelling companions you're waiting for."

Chris persisted, however, now attempting to yank away using quick bursts of speed. "I don't care! I need to go now! I don't need anyone to come with me!" He now took off his backpack and started trying to pull it out of the Professor's hand.

The Professor didn't budge an inch, and his face showed no signs of strain as he held the backpack in place. "They should be here any second now. If you'd be a bit more patient, I wouldn't have to hold you here like some kind of child." The Professor would have continued, but the flapping of wings interrupted his train of thought. Looking up, he could see a massive Pidgeot heading straight for them from the west. Realizing what was going on, he checked to the north and south, seeing a Pidgeot in each of those directions as well. "Well, it seems your 'patience' has paid off," the Professor quirked as he let go of the backpack, sending Chris tumbling to the ground.

Chris angrily stood to his feet and thought about bolting, but didn't. Instead, he watched the majestic creatures land nearby and get recalled to their Poké Balls by Oak, completely unaware of the three people who climbed down from atop them.

"I trust the Pokémon Centers in your region received your starters with no problems?" the Professor asked.

The taller boy nodded, holding up a Poké Ball. "Got it right here," he said. The boy and the girl next to him each nodded as well.

"Good, good," Oak mused as he looked out towards Route 1 and Chris. "That impatient, brash, impulsive and hyperactive young man over there is Chris, your travelling companion. Chris, this is David, a Pokémon Breeder and Coordinator in training." The taller boy who spoke earlier nodded and gave a small wave as Professor Oak continued. "This is Rachel, an aspiring Pokéthlete." The red-haired girl nodded with a small smile. Chris couldn't help but think she was cute. "Finally, this is Roger, an aspiring Trainer like yourself." Roger didn't even acknowledge Chris, but simply stared at the Poké Ball he now held. "Now that you've had your introductions, you're free to…" The Professor got no chance to finish as Chris bolted out towards Route 1. "…start your journey," he finished, sounding exasperated.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," David commented, watching the boy take off.

Chris finally made it onto Route 1. Adventures awaited him! Pokémon were just waiting to be caught! He finally had the freedom to-- He stepped on something soft. A loud squawk was heard, and when he backed off, he realized he'd angered a Spearow. "Whoa, sorry little Buddy. I was just…" There was no time given to explain as a flock of Spearow suddenly materialized from the grass, making a beeline straight for him. Chris did what any respectable Trainer would do; send out a brand new, never before trained Pokémon, and try to make it fight a horde of enemies without any knowledge of what attacks it could or could not use.


	2. Shades of Spearow

Chapter 2  
Shades of Spearow

Perhaps the most obvious and elementary clue that something was amiss was Chris running with an injured Charmander in his arms. Secondary to that, as it was noticed a few seconds later, was the massive flock of angry Spearow.

David looked to the Professor, who nodded to him slowly, as if to put David in charge of the situation. That was his role here. He was chosen to be the guiding hand to the group of slightly younger trainers he was supposed to travel with. Professor Oak said it was because he kept his cool in tough situations, and was extremely knowledgeable when it came to Pokémon.

Rachel and Roger knew of the way this was set up, but it appeared that Chris either didn't know or didn't care. Either way, he was in trouble and needed some help. Since the three of them received their Pokémon a week prior, they should have a few extra moves more than Chris' Charmander, which he received today.

David grabbed his Poké Ball from his belt, signaling the others to do the same. "Bulbasaur, front and center!" he yelled.

"Squirtle, I choose you!" Rachel called out.

"Jolteon, stand by for battle!" Roger called out. Rachel and David couldn't help looking back, and sure enough, he had a Jolteon. He had evolved his Eevee the moment he got it, it seemed.

David quickly turned his attention back to the flock of Spearow closing in. "Roger, we need some cover," he said.

Roger called out to his Pokémon. "Jolteon, get behind Chris and use Sand Attack!" Jolteon quickly complied and leapt over the sprinting newbie trainer, kicking up clouds of sand into the eyes of the oncoming Spearow.

"Everyone scatter!" David ordered, and the group split, running in various directions. David knew that Spearow had the Keen Eye ability, meaning their accuracy would not take any long-term hits. But the immediate cloud of sand would create a temporary veil so they could take them by surprise. It wasn't long before the Spearow emerged from the cloud. "Roger, give Rachel a hand! Rachel, start attacking!"

"Jolteon, Helping Hand!" Roger yelled.

"Use Bubble, Squirtle!" Rachel yelled. Both Pokémon complied, and the resulting attack hit several of the Spearow hard, sending many to the ground, struggling to recover. David looked at the field, realizing what to do as the Spearow dropped.

"Alright, Bulbasaur. Use Leech Seed!" Bulbasaur cried out as it fired multiple small seeds that embedded into the fallen Spearow that were struggling to get up. It released a set of vines that wrapped the Spearow, holding them in place and draining all their energy from them.

This process continued for about two minutes until all the Spearow had been dropped and taken out. Before the group lay a massive pile of Spearow twitching and passed out from the attacks.

David was about to bend down to check on them when Professor Oak walked up closer, clapping slowly. "Excellent," he said. "Remarkable. I have never seen a group of such new trainers take on such a challenge with so much finesse and expertise. I'm truly astounded." He turned to Chris. "As for you, I suggest you learn some patience."

Chris protested, but on a different topic. "How come their Pokémon already know their special moves, and mine doesn't even know Ember yet?"

Professor Oak sighed. "Your mother requested you travel with more experienced trainers with some skill to protect you from yourself." While the others couldn't help but laugh, Chris tucked his head and stared at the ground, embarrassed. Why did everyone have to pick on him?

"Alright, you four," Professor Oak finally said. "It's time for your journey to start. Route 1 is just the beginning. Make sure to give me a call on your Pokégear when you get to Viridian City, David."

David nodded. It was weird for him, being only fourteen, to have this kind of responsibility on his shoulders, but he was two-to-four years older than the others, and it was to be expected. Still, he had wanted his journey to be with friends, not subordinates. He could only hope that it wouldn't take that kind of tune when they travelled and the others would look at him as a fellow Trainer rather than some kind of under-aged authority figure. "Everyone ready to set off?" he asked, looking around. Everyone nodded slowly, including the downtrodden Chris.

"Bulbasaur, return!"

"Charmander, return!"

"Squirtle, return!"

"Jolteon, return!"

Four independent red beams of light pulled the partner Pokémon back into their Poké Balls. Slinging their backpacks over their shoulders and grabbing all their supplies, the four new adventurers set off into Route One.

"I'm getting hungry," Chris said, still staring at the ground as he walked.

Rachel turned to look at him, her face a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "We just ate an hour ago," she growled. "And David said that if we don't keep moving, we won't make it to Viridian City before dark.

"Stop complaining," Roger said to Chris, his hands interlocked behind his head as he walked. "We'll be there soon enough, and you can blow all the money you want at whatever restaurant you see."

The bickering was something he'd have to get used to, David figured. Roger and Rachel seemed to get along…well, perhaps that's not the best way to put it. Rachel and Roger rarely interacted with each other, just acknowledging each others' presence. Chris was the one everyone interacted with, however, as his antics and whiny nature tended to grind on the nerves of everyone there. He still had a lot of growing up to do, and David could only hope that this journey would help him with that.

Briefly looking up from his Pokégear, David finally noticed the colors in the sky that signaled night was falling. To their left, the setting sun cast hues of yellow, orange, and red that faded into darkness to their far right. He could see Spearow and Pidgey in the trees, setting up in their nests for the night, and Hoothoot starting to wake up and become active.

A beeping noise caught David's attention as he turned to look at Rachel, who had opened her Pokédex. _Hoothoot, the Owl Pokémon. Hoothoot is nocturnal, meaning it is only active during the night. It can accurately tell time, tilting its head precisely tilting its head as in with the rhythm of a clock. Although it is a Normal and Flying type Pokémon, it is known for using many Psychic-type techniques._

"What are you thinking about?" David asked, realizing he already knew the answer.

"I always liked flying-type Pokémon," Rachel said, putting the Pokédex away in her pocket. "I think I'll catch it."

"Do you have any Poké Balls?" Chris asked. "We haven't been to a Poké Mart yet."

"I picked up several while I was still in Slateport City," Rachel explained, revealing her origins in the Hoenn region. Chris started to pout again, but Rachel cut him off. "If you see something you really want, you can use some of my Poké Balls to catch it. Meanwhile, I'm going to catch this Hoothoot."

David nodded as he picked a small device from his bag, and attached it to his Pokégear. He then used that device as dock so he could plug his Pokédex into the Pokégear. "I made some modifications to the device when I was still in Blackthorn City," he said, adjusting a few settings. "I can now analyze the Pokémon before you catch it so you know what to expect."

"Cool!" Chris said. "I wish I knew how to do stuff like that."

"I could teach you," David said, "if you're willing to learn. Now let's see…this Hoothoot is level five. That means…let me cross reference its Pokédex entry… it knows Tackle, Growl, Foresight, and… uh-oh… Hypnosis. Better watch out for that one."

Rachel nodded. "Wish me luck. Squirtle, go!" She threw the ball up in the air, releasing Squirtle from the capsule. "You ready to catch that Hoothoot?" she asked. Squirtle gave a slow nod before turning to face the bird Pokémon. The rest of the group watched in anticipation. This could be the group's first capture.

"Squirtle, start it off with Bubble, and aim for the branch!" Squirtle fired a stream of high-speed bubbles that struck the branch Hoothoot was sitting on. When the branch quickly snapped, the startled owl started flapping to stay airborne, still not sure what was happening. "Now, hit Hoothoot!" Squirtle adjusted the stream to strike Hoothoot, which was knocked to the ground. It quickly stood up on one foot, particularly unhappy. It raced forward and slammed into Squirtle, who was sent back several feet and landed hard next to Rachel's foot.

"You okay?" she asked Squirtle, bending down to check it. Squirtle responded by jumping back to its feet and racing forward before Rachel could do anything, indicating it could keep fighting. "Alright, Squirtle, use… uh, Squirtle?"

Squirtle didn't hear a word. It was lying on the ground, fast asleep. Hoothoot's Hypnosis attack had apparently been successful. "Squirtle, wake up!" Her yells were complemented by the screams of the rest of the group, shouting for Squirtle to wake up. All the while, Hoothoot kept tackling the sleeping Pokémon.

Squirtle took about four tackle attacks before it finally woke up. "Squirt?!" he called out, looking around. Seeing Hoothoot coming in for another Tackle, it freaked out and hid inside its shell.

"Congratulations," David remarked somewhat dryly. "Your Squirtle just learned Withdraw. Two levels earlier than the Pokédex said it would."

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," Rachel quipped as Hoothoot bashed its head into Squirtle's shell, sending it stumbling backwards before falling over completely. "Now's my chance." She yanked out a green and brown Poké Ball. "This ball's awesome," she said. "Picked it up in Verdanturf Town. Go Nest Ball!" She lobbed the ball at Hoothoot, which was quickly absorbed. The ball shook on the ground for a few moments as Hoothoot tried to escape.

"Nest Ball?" Chris asked.

"It's a ball developed by the Devon Corporation in Hoenn," David explained. "If the Pokémon you're trying to catch is under level 19, it's three times as effective as a normal Poké Ball."

"Cool," Chris said. "I didn't know they made Poké Balls like that."

"Kanto doesn't make as many specialty Poké Balls as other regions do," Rachel said, her eyes still glued to the Nest Ball on the ground. "They mostly produce the standard ball types." A click sound was heard, indicating that the Pokémon had been latched in. Rachel took a deep breath before slowly walking over to the Nest Ball and picking it up. "I did it," she said quietly, staring at the ball. "Ha! I caught my first Pokémon!" The rest of the group clapped for her as she attached the Poké Ball to her belt.

"Congratulations," David said. "But we better get moving. It's going to be dark soon, and I'd rather us be in town than camp out on our first night with minimal supplies." Everyone nodded, and the group set out for the north.


	3. The Power to Play

Chapter 3  
The Power to Play

"Viridian City!" Chris yelled as they crossed over the last hill on Route 1. The rest of the group harshly shushed him, with David warning he'd wake someone up and they might call the cops. The city itself was relatively small, with no buildings taller than three stories, and was dimly lit, unlike most larger Kanto cities at night, as there were few businesses that burned the midnight oil.

"There's the Pokémon Center," Rachel said, pointing down to a building near the southern entrance of the town. They had several battles with wild Pokémon along the way, though no one else caught anything. Their Pokémon had gotten a good amount of experience, and had learned some new moves, but were exhausted from the effort. David nodded to the rest of the group and they set off down the hill, heading towards the city.

Chris was running down the hill, and before Rachel could warn him to be careful, he tripped with a yell, and started sliding down the hill uncontrollably. Freaked out, Rachel ran down after him, David not far behind. Roger remained at the top of the hill, frozen in a facepalm. Chris' antics were really starting to get old, and his nerves were slowly being grinded upon.

By the time Chris had come to a stop, several sleeping Oddish had run from the area, and a flock of Pidgey appeared from the grass, scattering in random directions through the sky. Chris was scraped up quite a bit, but was largely unharmed. By the time Roger made it down the hill, Chris was already back on his feet, ready to keep going.

"That boy is going to get himself killed," Roger said to Rachel, putting heavy emphasis on _boy_.

"Not if I kill him first," Rachel grumbled before continuing forward. Roger let out a small chuckle at this, realizing that he now had some competition for the homicidal act he was jokingly considering.

"Take it easy Chris," David said as he set the boy down on a chair. With all their Pokémon in the care of the Center's nurse, he'd taken to disinfecting Chris' scrapes and cuts, and covering them with bandages. "You seriously need to amp it down a bit," he advised. "This journey's dangerous enough without you going off and acting like a stunt double in a movie."

Chris said nothing in his defense, simply listening to the lecture he was being given by a kid that was only four years older than he was. He'd apparently forgotten how hungry he was, because he didn't try and attack any 24-hour burger stands on the way in. Roger sat nearby, shaking his head. David probably didn't want to play the role of chaperone; as a breeder and coordinator-in-training, he had his own goals he would want to pursue. How could any of them get very far if they were constantly having to monitor Chris the entire way?

David finally stood up. "What do you guys want to do tomorrow?" he asked. Rachel returned from the Center's counter, and passed a room key over to David, who pocketed it.

"Challenge the gym," Chris said immediately.

"No good," Rachel said. "The Viridian Gym is closed. The Gym Leader's on Cinnabar Island, helping rebuild the gym there. He won't be done for a few months, more than likely." Chris was visibly disappointed, but said nothing.

"We should just train tomorrow," Roger said. "We're not in any rush to complete this journey, so I say we spend the day in the Viridian Forest and that route out to the west leveling up our Pokémon and catching some new ones."

Rachel nodded. "I like that idea. There's a Pokémon Contest, Pokéthlon, and a Pokémon Gym in Pewter City. We need to be ready for those things."

David agreed. "That'll also give me some time tomorrow to visit the Poké Mart when it opens up and pick up some supplies we need. I'm going to give Professor Oak a call." He pulled the key from his pocket and tossed it to Roger. "Go ahead and scope out the room. Shower, sleep, whatever you guys need to do. Rachel, you have your own room, so try to get some rest tonight." The group nodded as David headed outside to make his call.

Roger stood and climbed the stairs, Rachel and Chris in tow. Once he made it to the second floor, he scanned the hallway for room 205, which turned out to be at the very end of the passageway. Turning the key, he and Chris entered, with Rachel continuing on to the third floor. "I'm grabbing a shower," Roger said as he opened the door. The room had two bunk beds in it, made of wood, with a night stand between them. On it was an alarm clock, phone, and a guide to Viridian City.

"I call top bunk!" Chris yelled, dropping his bag near the bed and jumping up to climb up the side of the bunk.

"Whatever," Roger said as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door.

When Roger got out of the shower and redressed himself, David was in the room, sitting on the bottom bunk opposite where Chris was sleeping, pouring Pokémon food into a bowl. Chris was snoring quietly, having fallen asleep in his jeans and t-shirt.

"I haven't learned how to make the food myself yet," David admitted, "but eventually we'll be able to save money when I can buy or grow my own ingredients to make Pokémon food and Pokéblock." He then stood up and reached into Chris' backpack, pulling out a Poké Ball. Opening it, Chris' Charmander appeared, looking around. "Knowing Chris, he'll probably forget to feed his Pokémon if we don't remind him."

The thought was annoying to Roger, mostly because he knew it was probably true. Reaching onto the belt of the jeans he'd discarded in the bathroom, he took the Poké Ball off and let his Jolteon out. David let out his Bulbasaur, and before long, he had three bowls set out, one with a small fire symbol on it, one with a leaf, and one with a lightning bolt. "The food is specially designed for various types of Pokémon," he said, "but homemade food can be customized to an individual Pokémon's tastes. Eat up, guys."

"Rachel?" Roger asked David as the Pokémon began to chow down.

"I stopped by her room and gave her a bowl and some food. Squirtle should be fine on that front." David put the food away in his backpack. "I've also got some sleeping mats for the Pokémon so they don't have to be in their Poké Balls all night. Charmander's specifically is fireproof so he doesn't set us all aflame in his sleep."

"You've thought of everything," Roger said, his respect for David growing, which was a rare occurrence for him.

"I try to. That's the goal of a travelling breeder." He smiled slightly before lying back on his bed, setting his glasses on the night stand. Roger walked over to the other bottom bunk, lying down as well. David shut out the light. "Good night, Roger."

"Night, David." Everyone in the room was asleep within the hour.

Roger woke up with sunlight streaming in through the single window sitting above the night stand. Blinking, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to focus them through the blur. David was gone from the room, having apparently already showered and left. Chris was still asleep on the bunk above him. He looked at the clock; it was 9:30 in the morning.

After breakfast with Rachel at the Pokémon Center dining area, Roger told her that he was going to train on Route 22, west of Viridian City. "You want me to join you?" Rachel asked.

Roger nodded. "That's fine, if you want to. There typically aren't a lot of trainers there, but there are some wild Pokémon for us to catch and for our Pokémon to cut their teeth on."

David walked up about then, having a seat in the booth next to Rachel, across from Roger. "I got some supplies for everyone." He handed a bag to each of the other two trainers, containing a few Potions, Poké Balls, Antidotes, and Awakenings. "Nothing much, but it'll do for now."

"You didn't have to do that, David, but thanks," she said. "We'll start splitting the cost of supplies between us so we can have a community pool or something."

The three stood as Rachel and Roger prepared to head out. "We're going out to Route 22," Rachel said. "Want to come train with us?"

David shook his head. "I'm heading to a spot north of here to do some contest training, and maybe try and get some Pokéblock made back at the Center later." With a nod, the three took off for different destinations.


	4. The Space Between Us

Chapter 4  
The Space Between Us

Chris raced down the stairs of the Pokémon Center, still pulling his shorts up over his boxers and trying to get his jacket on. His Pokémon belt was still slung over his shoulder as he frantically attempted to slide his feet into his shoes. The entire ordeal caught the attention of everyone in the Center until he finally tripped and fell to the bottom of the stairs.

Once the Center's nurse was sure he was alright, she proceeded to scold him loudly for his outrageous behavior while he frantically and embarrassedly tried to get his pants on. "It's not my fault!" he kept claiming as he tried to get his shoes tied. "They all left without me!"

"That doesn't excuse your behavior. You're a Pokémon Trainer now, so start acting like one!" With that, she returned to the counter. Chris managed to get his fingerless gloves on and his belt snapped onto his waist, dashing out the automated door.

The others had apparently got up way before him and left him behind. He woke up to find it was eleven in the morning, and both David and Roger were gone. Their stuff was still there, so they couldn't have gone far, but couldn't they at least have the decency to wake him up too?

Standing out in the bright sunlight, Chris squinted as he looked around. He didn't see any of the others anywhere. His options were north, south, and west.

"Poké Ball, go!" Roger called out as he threw the ball at the Mankey. The Pokémon however, was going to have none of it. Using its tail, it slammed the ball back towards Roger, which he managed to catch just before it struck him in the face. By the time he looked back towards the grassy field, Mankey was long gone.

Rachel grit her teeth. "Sorry, Roger," she said, realizing how annoying that had to be.

Roger just shrugged his shoulders. "There are more Pokémon in the sea of grass," he said simply.

Rachel said nothing more on the topic as the two waded through the tall grass. Rachel occasionally looked up to the sky, thinking about how beautiful the cloudless day was. Before this journey started, she would have sat outside on a day like this, enjoying the environment. Now she was trying to train a brand new Pokémon on how to jump, run, and catch. It was much harder than lounging around on a Saturday, but training a Pokémon is its own reward, her dad used to say.

"Over there," Roger whispered harshly. Rachel stopped cold and leaned to the side to look around Roger. In the grass was a black snake-like Pokémon, sleeping soundly. "What is that thing?" Roger whispered to Rachel.

"Don't know," Rachel whispered back. "But if I use the Pokédex, it'll just wake up."

"Whatever it is, I'm going to catch it," Roger said quietly, as he snuck closer. He crept inch by inch, trying very hard not to allow the grass to make too much noise. He'd almost made it in range, however, when the Pokémon, who was apparently playing possum, lunched forward with its teeth outstretched towards the screaming kids.

"Pecha berries," David said to himself as he picked another berry off the tree. The forest had proven to be an excellent source of berries he could use for Pokéblock and food. As he filled yet another jar with berries, Bulbasaur walked near his feet, sniffing the various plants he came across as he walked.

"Bulba?" David looked down to see Bulbasaur sniffing an odd-looking plant. "Bulbasaur!" it said happily. David bent down and opened his Pokédex to see if he could get information.

_This plant is a sprout of a Mago Berry which is still in the early stages of development._

"You like this, Bulbasaur?" David asked. Bulbasaur nodded. It was apparently a berry he'd had before and liked. David made a quick note in his Pokédex that his Bulbasaur liked sweet berries. He then moved on with Bulbasaur following, and during the course of the time he spent there, he managed to gather three tall canisters of berries that barely fit in his backpack. "Want to go make some Pokéblock?" he asked Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur nodded in agreement with a big smile on his face. David nodded back and returned the smile. "Let's get back to the Pokémon Center then. There's a blender there we can use to create some food."

"Well, I guess it's awake now!" Rachel yelled as she and Roger ducked underneath the lunging snake Pokémon.

"What was your first clue?" Roger demanded as he stood up. "The loud cry of 'Seviper!' or the attempt to bite our heads?"

Ignoring the sarcastic remark with a roll of the eyes, Rachel picked up her Pokédex and let it scan the Pokémon.

_Seviper, the fang snake Pokémon. Seviper have a powerful poison that can seep through their fangs and their tail. Very territorial, Seviper can move swiftly through grass to dispatch intruders and enemies. When afflicted with an ailment, they can shed their skin to become healthy once again._

"Alright then. Jolteon, you're up!" Roger tossed the Poké Ball straight up into the air, allowing it to pop open mid flight to release his partner. Jolteon stood on all fours, its fur becoming sharper with aggression. "Start things off with Sand-Attack!" Jolteon complied, kicking up sand in Seviper's face. A large cloud of dust was hanging in the air when Seviper suddenly burst through, fangs bared, ready to bite. "Jolteon, dodge that!" Jolteon jumped into the air, Seviper's attack missing by a hair.

"It's so quick!" Rachel said, amazed by Seviper's speed.

"Not quick enough. Jolteon, use Tackle!" Jolteon complied, running straight in towards Seviper. It made contact, but didn't seem to do much as Seviper bent like a rubber band in the middle. Its tail and legs began to encircle Jolteon, and squeezed quickly, bringing its legs together and causing him to fall to the ground.

"Ooh, that's gonna leave a mark," Roger commented as he thought of his next move. "Jolteon, you gotta break free!" Jolteon tried, but it was to no avail. Seviper's wrap attack had it contained too well.

Seviper began to put the squeeze on Jolteon, causing it to cry out in pain. "Jolteon!" Roger yelled. He began to pick up Jolteon's Poké Ball to recall it, but a bright light stopped him in his tracks. Seviper was suddenly overcome with pain as Jolteon released a powerful blast of electrical energy straight through him.

"Hey! Jolteon must have just learned Thundershock!" Rachel said. "Way to go, Roger!"

"Yeah…" Roger said quietly, awestruck by the incredible display of power. Seviper fell to the ground, twitching as Jolteon jumped back several feet, putting plenty of distance between himself and the Fang Snake Pokémon.

"Uh…Roger? Roger? Anyone home?" Roger snapped out of his trancelike state for a moment, looking towards Rachel. "You gonna catch it, or just stare at it for a while?"

"Oh, right," Roger said, a slight shiver going down his spine. "Go Poké Ball!" The capsule enclosed around Seviper and began to shake violently as the Pokémon desperately attempted to escape.

Chris was sitting in the Pokémon Center feeling particularly sorry for himself when he saw David walk in. He quickly jumped up right in front of him. "Dude, why didn't you wake me up?" he demanded, standing on the tips of his toes to get eye level with the taller boy.

"Bulba…" the Seed Pokémon growled at the now threatening-looking Chris. Chris noticed and felt this strange urge to back off, which he did, and now stood a few feet away from David. David looked down at Bulbasaur and gave him a smile, somewhat of an approving gesture of the young Pokémon's protectiveness of its new trainer.

"You looked tired," David explained. "I doubt I could have gotten you up even if I had tried." He set his backpack down near a blender and took a seat. "Why are you still here, anyway? Shouldn't you be out training?" His attention wasn't even focused on Chris anymore as he started to pull some of the berry canisters out of his bag and pour them out into a basket, sorting them by flavor and potency.

"Well, yeah, I guess…" he said, holding Charmander's Poké Ball in his hand.

"Then go train. We've got grassy fields to the south, some rocky ledges to the west, and a forest to the north. Just don't go too far, but don't come back until your Charmander has learned Metal Claw."

"Metal Claw?" Chris said to himself as he started to walk out the Center doors.

With the berries he'd collected finally sorted, David figured he had a good six months' worth of food for the Pokémon. But they would obviously catch more, so he knew it wouldn't actually last that long. But it certainly wasn't a bad start. Using his modified Pokédex as a guide, he started to add berries into the blender. He flipped the selector switch to "Food" and began to blend, while adding some berries to the next blender over, and selecting "Pokéblock" as the output. Once he had two machines going, it was only a few minutes before both were finished.

"Want to be my first tester, Bulbasaur?" David asked, holding a small green Pokéblock in his hand.

Bulbasaur jumped a little bit, excited to try it. David leaned over in his chair, holding the Pokéblock in his hand, and Bulbasaur ate it on the spot. Seconds later, it started screaming. "Bulbasaur! Bulba Bulba Bulbabulbabulba!" It was now running around in circles, its face contorted into a look of sheer horror.

David grimaced. "Okay, apparently not every batch of Pokéblock is a winner," he said, scratching his head. "Let's try a slightly different method."

_Caterpie, the worm Pokémon. Caterpie emit a foul stench to ward off enemies. Its Shield Dust ability prevents additional effects of enemy attacks occurring. The suction cups on the bottom of its body allow it to climb surfaces effortlessly._

Chris put the Pokédex away and grabbed his Poké Ball. "Charmander, go!" Charmander emerged. "Charmander use Metal Claw!"

Charmander stood particularly still for a few moments, then turned around to glare at Chris.

"Uh…I take it you don't know that yet. Okay, then use Ember!" Chris said, scratching his head.

Charmander swung its tail in front of it, releasing small clumps of flame at Caterpie. The Worm Pokémon responded with a String Shot that blocked the flame, but was burned to nothing in the process. Chris clenched a fist, growling. "Use Scratch this time!" he called out. Charmander raced towards Caterpie in response, but instead got a face full of String Shot, slowing him down and rendering him sightless for a few moments. Caterpie took advantage of the situation and tackled Charmander to the ground.

Chris took a deep breath. "Okay, this isn't going well. Use your Ember to break through the String Shot!" Charmander's tail moved to the tangled webbing and burned it off, leaving only a sticky goop that slowed him down, but still allowed him to move around. "Try Ember again!" Chris ordered. Charmander raced forward again, prompting Caterpie to fire another String Shot.

"Now, use scratch!" Chris yelled. Charmander's Scratch attack quickly caught the string shot, and the sweeping motion of his arm pulled Caterpie helplessly towards Charmander, who swung his tail in perfect sync. Heavily burned by the intense flame at the tip of Charmander's tail, Caterpie passed out.

It was one small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

"Way to go, Roger!" Rachel said. "You caught Seviper hands down!" Roger had bent down to grip the Poké Ball in his hand, staring at it for several seconds. "Roger? Earth to Roger, come in. Do you copy, over?"

Roger snapped out of his daze and looked at Rachel. "What happened?" he asked.

"You okay?" Rachel said, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Roger said, picking up the bag he'd dropped. "You want to do some training now?"

Rachel was still concerned, but let it go, since he obviously had no intention of talking about it. "Yeah…let's get started."

Bulbasaur sat in the corner of the Center, growling as David approached. "C'mon, Bulbasaur. Just try one more. I'm sure this one will be great." He leaned forward to try and give the small block to the Pokémon. Bulbasaur angrily retaliated by extending a vine and smacking David's wrist hard, sending the Pokéblock flying as David held his wrist with his other hand. "Great. My food is so bad it actually managed to teach Bulbasaur how to use Vine Whip."

The fallen Pokéblock skid across the ground and hit the foot of a boy who was talking to another in a desperate tone. As David approached, the conversation became clearer. "Come on," the pleading boy said. "It needs a home."

The other boy shook his head. "I said no. I have no need for it. I'm not going to train it." The first boy, looking dejected, started to walk away when he accidentally stepped on the Pokéblock, crushing it into small pieces. "Oops," he said, looking at it.

"It's alright," David said, bending down to pick up the pieces. "It probably wasn't that good, anyway."

"Are you a Coordinator?" The boy suddenly asked. "You're making Pokéblock. Does that mean you're a Coordinator?"

David stood and threw away the pieces of Pokéblock in the nearby trash can. "I just started my journey yesterday," he admitted, "but yeah, I'm a coordinator. Why?"

"My name's Ethan," the boy said.

"David," he said back, waiting to hear the explanation.

"I caught this Pokémon, but I'm not allowed to keep it." Ethan produced a Lure Ball, a specialized Poké Ball made in David's home region, Johto, used for catching Pokémon caught on a fishing line. "My parents say I can't become a trainer until much later, and I have to find a good person to take care of this little guy."

David pulled out his Pokédex, since the kid was apparently reluctant to identify the concealed Pokémon, and ran a scan of the ball.

_Feebas, the Fish Pokémon. Feebas' hardy nature allows it to survive in both fresh and salt water. As its beauty grows, its scales will shimmer with a diamond-like shine, indicating that it is almost ready to evolve._

David hit the button to get a readout of the next Pokémon in the National Dex order. He couldn't help but wonder what Feebas evolved into. Meanwhile, Ethan fidgeted uncomfortably, convinced he'd lost another prospective trainer to take care of his Pokémon.

_Milotic, the Tender Pokémon. Milotic is said to be the most beautiful Pokémon in the world. It releases an aura of energy that calms combative spirits and soothes anger._

If the picture on the Pokédex was any indication, Milotic was a gorgeous Pokémon, well worthy of any Pokémon contest ribbon. "Feebas aren't easy to find," David said. "Why won't your father hold on to it for you until you get your Pokémon license?"

Ethan sighed and shook his head. "I wish I knew. But I want to be a Trainer, anyway, not a Coordinator. No offense." David shook his head to indicate no offense was taken, and Ethan continued. "I think I'd be better off with a Magikarp. Either way, do you think you could take care of this Feebas for me?"

David smiled and nodded. "I'd be happy to," he said. "I'll take great care of it."

"Her," Ethan corrected. "She's a girl Feebas." He slowly handed the Lure Ball over to David, who took it, gripping it tightly, as if to show that he would protect the Pokémon. Ethan nodded and walked to the door of the Center, stopping short as the doors automatically opened in front of him. "One more thing," he appended. "That Feebas has…an interesting color," he said. He then left the building.


	5. A Rocket in the Hand

**Chapter 5**  
_A Rocket in the hand is worth two in the jaw_

The sun was starting to set as David packed away the berries and supplies. Despite his best attempts, Bulbasaur refused to eat any of the Pokéblock made, though Feebas loved it. No matter how much Bulbasaur resisted, Feebas kept jumping up onto the table for more, happily devouring whatever was made, much to Bulbasaur's confusion and disgust. David just figured Feebas loved dry food.

Of course, Feebas was a bit of an odd bird…or fish, in this instance. She had a sickly-looking shade of purple to its scales. She certainly seemed healthy and well-fed, but that strange purple color he'd been warned about was some cause for concern. It was still on David's mind when he pulled both Pokémon back to their Poké Balls, packed the remainder of his supplies, and walked out of the Center.

David stretched, this being his first breath of fresh air in several hours, and enjoyed the cool breeze as he walked west. Chris had been training in the North, Rachel and Roger to the west. He figured he'd collect the group and check on their progress, test some of the food he'd made, and collectively grab dinner before bed. That's when he saw it.

A man, dressed in black with a Poké Ball in hand was exiting the Viridian Forest. The disturbing part was that attached to his arm was a young boy, holding on to him by the teeth, weakly kicking and trying to beat the snot out of the man's arm. The man seemed little more than annoyed when David approached.

"I'm going to try and remain calm, collected, and rational," David said to the duo, breathing deeply, as if trying to remain composed. "Now, then…_why are you biting this man's arm?"_ he yelled at Chris, whose jaw was still locked tightly.

Chris' response was, for the most part unintelligible the first two times he tried to speak, until he managed to get a handle (so to speak) on the man's arm in his mouth to make himself heard. "He stole my Pokémon," he complained, his voice still slightly muffled. Chris pointed to the Poké Ball in the alleged thief's hand.

"That true?" David asked, slowly and carefully letting one of his Pokémon out of its ball. Bulbasaur materialized beside him, looking a bit defensive.

"Kid's making it up," the man said. "This is my Pokémon."

Chris' look seemed to plea with David, who continued. "What kind of Pokémon is it?" he asked.

"It's a…Mankey." The brief pause wasn't lost on David who cleared his throat.

"Bulbasaur?" David asked. Bulbasaur complied with the unspoken request and extended a vine to depress the button on the front of the Poké Ball. A very hurt and weakened Charmander materialized, looking around. Seeing David first, he quickly ran and hid behind his leg, looking to Bulbasaur for protection.

"I see," David said. "Looks like your Mankey must have evolved when you weren't looking. Congratulations on your new Primape."

The man looked extremely annoyed as he finally smacked Chris on the head so hard, he released his grip on the man and fell to the ground, disoriented. Dropping Charmander's ball, he turned to face David, another Poké Ball in hand. "You shouldn't meddle in adult business, little boy."

David simply smiled. "Haven't you heard? Age doesn't make a difference. Pokémon are the equalizers." He nodded slowly, as if to give a signal to someone. "I'm not a huge fan of Pokémon thieves, but you know who hates them even more?"

"SEVIPER!" The name was hissed loudly shortly before the man cried out in pain from being launched forward. David stepped to the side as the man flew past, landing on the ground nearby. Roger and Rachel ran in from behind where the man had been. "Is everyone alright?" Rachel asked.

"Chris is down for the count, but let's worry about this guy first," David said.

Rachel nodded. "Hoothoot, hypnosis!" she yelled. Her Pokémon fired two red rings from its eyes that struck the man in the face. He visibly started to fall asleep.

"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" Bulbasaur fired a small seed that sprouted vines in midair, wrapping around the man, sapping him of what little strength he had left. "I'll call the police," David said. "You two get Chris to the Center. Great work, by the way." With a nod, he pulled out his Pokégear to make the call. Roger and Rachel each put one of Chris' arms around their shoulders and slowly walked him back to get medical treatment, a worried Charmander following not far behind.

_Later that evening…_

When David walked into the Center, he was followed by Officer Jenny of the Viridian Police Department. Chris had an ice pack on his head, but removed it to look up at the two when they made their way to the table. "Chris, this Officer needs to take your statement," David explained. Chris nodded, saying nothing, only getting up to follow her to a different table. As they talked, David sat down.

"What happened?" Rachel asked.

"Turns out the guy was a member of - get this - Team Rocket." David leaned back in his chair with a grin.

"Seriously?" Rachel said. "I thought those guys were as defunct as Aqua and Magma."

"So did I. Apparently, they're more like scattered pockets of resistant thugs than an actual organized team these days."

"Pathetic," Roger commented, taking another bite of his lasagna.

"You called it," Rachel said. "So what's the plan for tomorrow, Fearless Leader?"

David hesitated.

"You know, he's not our boss," Roger said defiantly. "We're all on this journey, we all get a say in what happens."

David smiled when he realized what Roger was doing. Rachel stared angrily at the boy until David spoke up. "He's right, you know. Don't you have a Pokéthlon to train for? When is that?"

"The next one starts the day after tomorrow, she responded, turning her attention to the older boy. "The day before your contest, right?"

"And what's the theme of this particular Pokéthlon?" Roger asked.

"Running," Rachel said. "Relay Run, Hurdle Jump, and Pennant Capture."

Chris rejoined them as Jenny exited the Center. "So what happened?" Rachel asked.

Chris gave a slight shrug. "He came at me from behind and knocked me hard. I felt him snag Charmander's Poké Ball, so I got up and chased him. When I caught up, I started biting him."

Rachel couldn't help but snicker at Chris' response to the theft. That boy had to have been a Gible in a previous life or something.

"At the very least, you're okay," David said, pulling his Pokégear out from his pocket. "I'd recommend, however, that you call your mom and let her know what happened and that you're okay, rather than have her hear it on the _Kanto Now_ Evening News." Chris nodded, remaining uncharacteristically silent, took the Pokégear, and headed for their room. "So, Roger. Congrats on your capture of that Seviper," David continued. "The Poison-type is tricky to raise."

"So I've heard," Roger said. "I have it under control, though."

"No doubt in my mind." David smiled before reaching into his bag and setting down a few small bowls. "Okay, food time." With that, he began to pour some of his new home made Pokémon food. Bulbasaur had hated the Pokéblock, he granted, but the fussy Pokémon had yet to try the actual food. Once David let Bulbasaur and Feebas out of their capsules, the other trainers called out their Pokémon to chow down.

Bulbasaur was apprehensive as he smelled the food. The other Pokémon, however, took to it instantly, devouring it at lightning speed. Even Seviper, who sampled Jolteon's special mix was delighted.

"C'mon, Bulbasaur. You won't know if you're going to like it if you don't take the time to try it." Bulbasaur glared for a few moments before reluctantly tasting one of the brown pellets. He chewed it for a few seconds, swallowed, then seemed to shrug as if to say, _It's not half bad, I guess._ David couldn't help but chuckle at the prissy Pokémon he'd captured.

Once dinner had finished, the Pokémon and their trainers bolted to bed for their final night they would spend in Viridian City. Next stop was the Viridian Forest, then finally, Pewter City for two gym battles, a contest, and a Pokéthlon.

_Late that night…_

Roger lay awake, staring at the ceiling, witnessing the amazing power of Jolteon and Seviper. His mind kept replaying the moment Jolteon learned Thundershock, or when Seviper tackled the Team Rocket member. Was it okay? Should children be playing god with these incredible creatures that represent forces of nature unto themselves? He remained uncertain and awake for several more hours until he finally drifted into a tumultuous sleep.


	6. The Forest for the Bees

Chapter 6  
_The Forest for the Bees_

"I've seen the photos," Rachel said.

"I've read the horror stories," David added.

"I've watched movies about it," Chris responded.

"But despite all that, I never believed I'd actually come to see it," Roger said, finishing the thought for the group. "Now we only need to react."

"Fight or flight?" Rachel asked.

David and Roger responded at the same time. "Flight."

With that, the group dashed off at top speed. Behind them was the horrible sound of buzzing as a massive horde of Beedrill followed in hot pursuit, stingers ready to strike. "Did you _have_ to catch that Weedle?" Rachel demanded of Chris.

"Who could have seen this coming?" he demanded right back.

"All of us," Roger said, "when we each warned you twice to leave the Weedle nest alone!"

"At least I got it!" Chris boasted, still running.

"We can't keep this up!" David said. "We've got to try and fight back! Roger, give us some cover!"

The group stopped in unison (save for Chris who kept running for a bit before realizing what was going on), and readied their Pokémon. "Jolteon, stand by for orders!" A flick of the wrist and Jolteon was out in front, ready to face the Beedrill head on. "Sand Attack now!" Jolteon kicked up a dust cloud of sand, and Chris used the opportunity to pull out his Pokédex to get some more information.

_Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon and the evolved form of Weedle and Kakuna. Beedrill attack largely in swarms, where their overwhelming numbers are able to fend off any attacks made at its nest. It is capable of inflicting the Poison status condition with moves like Poison Sting and Twineedle. These attacks also allow it to immobilize prey, and bring it back to their nest._

"If you're done with Pokémon 1301," Roger said dryly, "we could use some help from a fire-type."

It took him a few moments before Chris realized what he needed to do. "Right! Sorry." He put the Pokédex away and pulled out his Poké Ball. "Charmander, go!"

"Bulbasaur, front and center!" David yelled.

"Squirtle, let's get started!" Rachel cried.

"No strategy this time," David said as the Beedrill started to make their way through the dust cloud. "Take 'em down as fast as you can. Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!"

"Squirtle, use Bubble!"

"Jolteon, Thundershock!"

"Charmander, Ember!"

The attacks varied in power, effectiveness, and appearance, but altogether, they formed a visual cacophony of what it looks like to be hopelessly outnumbered. The trainers' Pokémon managed to put up an attack wall for about ten seconds before more started to bleed through. The first few headed straight for Squirtle.

"Withdraw, and keep using Bubble!" Rachel ordered. Squirtle complied, the stings of the Beedrill being repelled by its hard shell while others still took damage as bubbles poured out from the hole in its hard shell.

"We can't hold them off much longer!" Roger yelled back to the rest of the group. "Seviper, Bite!" He threw a Poké Ball upwards, and Seviper materialized, grabbing several Beedrill in its mouth, tossing them to the ground, then wrapping around a high tree branch and hanging downwards, grabbing more with its fangs.

"Hoothoot, Hypnosis!" The nest ball flew up high, releasing the small owl Pokémon from its capsule. It began immediately firing red rings of energy from its eyes, causing multiple Beedrill to fall to the ground shortly after.

"We need more cover!" Roger yelled as the dust began to settle. "Jolteon, another Sand Attack!" Jolteon complied, causing the battlefield to become all the more volatile.

"Farfetch'd, help 'em out!" An unfamiliar voice was heard from behind the trainers. The group turned around to see a tall boy. He looked young, but had apparently hit a very early growth spurt. Probably about David's age, but almost six feet tall. His dark hair was thin and wavy, his vest, shirt, and jeans torn from a long journey. "Farfetch'd, use Peck!" His quick duck-like Pokémon darted from Beedrill to Beedrill, offering super-effective attacks against each of them. With the combined attacks of all the Pokémon involved, the battle ended two minutes later. The floor of the forest was littered with fainted Beedrill and exhausted young Pokémon who had just been in the biggest battle of their lives.

As the Pokémon were recalled back to their Poké Balls, David extended a hand to the new boy. "Thanks for the help back there."

"No sweat. Looked like a big battle. My name's Devin," he said, shaking David's hand.

"I'm David, that's Chris, Rachel, and Roger." He pointed to each one as he released hands with the boy.

"Your Farfetch'd was amazingly quick," Roger commented.

Devin smiled, perhaps with a bit of pride and smugness. "Speed is its strongest stat. At any rate, it was great meeting you guys. I'm sure we'll cross paths again."

The group gave its final thanks and goodbyes before they headed north through the last leg of the forest.

"So, are you happy you got your Weedle?" Rachel asked Chris.

The boy grinned sheepishly. "Hey, look on the bright side. It was great experience for the little guys. They've got to be, like ten times stronger now."

"_We're_ going to be ten times as likely to have our butts handed to us on a silver platter if we don't get to a Center soon," Roger pointed out. "Our Pokémon can barely move at this point."

"We've still got Weedle and Feebas!" Chris piped up.

Roger rolled his eyes. "Forgive me if I lack sufficient faith in those two. Both of them need to evolve first. Weedle needs to evolve twice, no less."

"Hey! Just because my Pokémon's not evolved doesn't mean it's not strong!" Chris yelled, his face turning red in anger.

"Guys?" David said tentatively.

"I didn't say that! But your Pokémon can't learn stronger moves until it evolves!" Roger retorted.

"Um…guys?" David repeated.

"It doesn't need stronger moves! It just needs training and it'll be just as strong as a Deoxys!" Chris yelled back.

"Do you think we ought to…" David tried to interject.

"Deoxys?" Roger yelled back. "Please, not even a Beedrill at full strength could ever compare to any of its forms."

"…keep it down a bit?" David continued.

"Would you two put a cork in it?" Rachel demanded. "I'm getting so sick and tired of hearing this kind of nonsense."

David reached forward, grabbing Chris and and Roger's heads and turning them to the north. "See that?" he said, interrupting the verbal massacre. "That's the exit to the forest." A large grey building could be seen in the distance. He rotated their heads to the south. Chris stumbled to move his body as he was shifted against his will. "See that? That's an Ursaring coming straight for the screaming boys that were disturbing its sleep. Now you tell me what we should do now."

The site of the Ursaring prepping its sharp claws would scare even the largest of Raichu. Without another word, the group took off running for their lives once again.

At the end of the Forest sat a gatehouse, a small building with a lone patrol officer that monitored for disturbances. Today, he sat at his computer, happily browsing pictures of cute Poochyena doing crazy things. He was relaxed until a group of kids burst in, slammed the metallic door, and held their backs to it as a massively loud scraping sound was heard from the outside. Everyone in the small building grit their teeth and held their ears as the nails-on-chalkboard sound continued for a few seconds, then died off as what sounded like a behemoth of a Pokémon stomped away back into the woods.

The patrol officer slid back into his chair, his hands shaking as he reached for his cup of coffee and the mouse to his computer. Only nine in the morning and already he was dealing with this.

While Roger and David slid to the floor, catching their breath, Rachel reached for Chris, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him up against the door they had just escaped through. "If you _ever_ do something as stupid as all that again, I swear…"

A clearing of the guard's throat caught Rachel's attention. She reluctantly dropped Chris and he slid to the floor between David and Roger. "Let's just…" she growled in frustration. "Pewter City's like five minutes away. Let's go." She stomped out the opposite door. David and Roger followed, with Chris trailing behind.

"No fury like a woman scorned," David quipped as they passed out of the gatehouse.

"I believe it," Roger said incredulously, looking back to a very petrified Chris.


End file.
